The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-02
THE NEW YORK POLICE FORCE.
Its Claims to Superiority Over Any
Force in the World

New Yerkers religiously believe that
they have the best police system and the
finest police force in existence. AS
represented by the board of aldermen
August II, 1886-they hold that 1.-The
police department has reached a stan
dard of efficiency hitherto unattained,
and superior TO any force in the world"
This opinion, expressed after the
mineral of ex.President Grant, may only
be that of majority; but, nevertheless
exceptions prove the rule.
What is the number of the metropoli-
ran noIjca force? what are its duties {?
how is it organized? and in what
manner are its duties performed are
Questions whose answers determine the
sOundness or Unsoundness OF the pOpu-
lar faith.
The number Of The police force, Of all
ranks ana grades. on the last day Of a
D. 1885, was 2 933, including 80 proba-
TONERS. The legislature of the State of
New York, on May u, 1886, unani-
mJlslg authorized the addition of 500
in Difference to the general conviction
that it was numerically too small TO
cope with the pO, Sible emergencies Of
the times. The city OF New York, eSti-
mating its pOpu alton at 800 600, then
had. exclusive of the Central Park force,
one police officer to every 562 Of the
inhabitants. This, III view of the
Heterogeneous character OF the people,
and the peculiar relation Of the city to
the continent, was really an INSULT cent
supply. In 1888 Philadelphia had one
policeman to every G36 OF its cjEZens;
Baltimore, one to 5 3: Boston, one to
487, the metropolitan district CT London
one to $40; and the ancient city OF Lon
don one to every 10
The police department OF New YORK,
established and organized und rthe law
OF 1870, consists of the board Of police
which is composed of four commission
ers. appointed by the mayor-of the
police force, and of officials appointed
BY the commissioners.
The bulk of the police force, CORE
spending to the privates or enlisted men
of the regular army consisted on the
1st of January 1856, of the 1896 patrol
men. On the 18th of June, according to
the return of Deputy Chief Clerk Della
mater, the naive nationality of the
1886 men of all ranks and grades then
constituting the police force was as
follows: United States, 1,745; Ireland,
ga; Germany, 1856; Austria, 4; Italy 3;
Switzerland, 1; Canada, 13; England 80;
Finland, l; Scotland, IA France 6;
Bavaria, /; Nova Scotia. 2; Denmark
/; Sweden, 2; West Indies, L, ruus
the United States have contributed
5945, Ireland 1917, and all other
countries 1877 per cent of the whole.
The Hibernian element, including those
born in this country, is decidedly pre-
dominant. Naturally enough, those in
whose constitution habits of subordina-
ton to authority have been ingrained
by. generations of servitude are most
Watchful and resolute when the enforce
ment of law is intrusted to their hands.
Whatever their ancestral antecedents,
the New York police have invariably
illustrated the virtues of implicit obedi-
ence, self-control, manly courage, and
intelligent fidelity. The club is at times
quite freely used. The ideal policeman
is only an ideal. The actual is but an
approximation to the imaginary archie
type, because he is only a man under
all the limitations of the commonplace
American citizen.-Dr. Richard Wheat
ley, in Harpsc's Magazine for March.